x
Breaking News
More () »

NRG Stadium will become COVID vaccine megasite that provides thousands of shots each day

The Community Vaccination Center at NRG is expected to be up and running by February 22, according to the White House.

HOUSTON — NRG Stadium is set to become a new COVID-19 vaccine mega site, capable of administering thousands of shots a day.

It's part of a vaccine partnership between the White House and the State of Texas and also includes mega sites at Fair Park in Dallas and AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Together, they will be capable of giving more than 10,000 shots a day, according to the White House.

They expect these sites to be up and running beginning the week of February 22.

MORE COVERAGE: Latest COVID-19 vaccine headlines

The Biden Administration is sending federal teams immediately to work hand-in-hand with the state and local jurisdictions. 

These Community Vaccination Centers will utilize primarily federal staff in support of state and local governments.

"We’re grateful for the Biden administration’s aggressive push to increase vaccination capacity across our region," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.  

Hidalgo told KHOU county leaders are pushing the federal government to use the county’s existing vaccine waitlist to select who will get vaccine appointments.

LIST: Where and how to get a COVID vaccination in the Houston area | County-by-county list

“The benefit of it is we collect the demographic information, the age information, the preexisting condition information, so that the federal government can prioritize depending on what it is they need,” Hidalgo said.

More than 300,000 people had registered on the county list as of Wednesday.

WATCH: More COVID-19 vaccine coverage

The White House said the three sites were identified using a range of criteria, most central to those is the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index. This tool was created to help emergency response planners and public health officials identify and map communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The index takes into consideration critical data points, including socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, languages, housing type and transportation.

The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot centers is to continue to expand the rate of vaccinations in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.

HARDEST HIT AREAS

Each of these areas, like the rest of the country, have struggled with the impacts of COVID-19.

  • In Harris County, over 329,000 have tested positive for COVID-19 and over 3,000 have passed away as a result of the pandemic.
  • In Dallas County, over 210,000 have tested positive for COVID-19 and over 2,400 have passed away as a result of the pandemic.
  • In Tarrant County, over 190,000 have tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly 2,500 have passed away as a result of the pandemic.

RELATED: These Houston-area Walmart, Sam’s Club stores will offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment

RELATED: Pharmacies set to distribute COVID vaccine in Houston area | Links you will need to register

ACCESSIBILITY 

The three sites were chosen, in part, because they are easily accessible for some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens. Each is located near at least three major highways.

  • The Houston Metro and its METRORail operates various routes near and around NRG Park. METRO offers 100% accessibility and also provides paratransit via METROLift.
  • Fair Park is accessible via multiple public transit options, including the DART Rail line and Trinity Railway Express.

HOUSTON POPULATION

  • Houston Metro area has 2.3 million people in the city, 4.7 million in the county and 7 million in the metro area.
  • In Harris County 16.2% of the populationlive below the poverty line.
  • In Houston, no racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority. The area is home to the nation’s fourth-largest Hispanic/Latino population at more than 2.7 million.
  • The Greater Houston area also includes the nation’s ninth-largest Asian population.

DALLAS POPULATION

  • While the City of Dallas is 1.35 million people, the city is a major part of the DFW Metroplex which includes 7.54 million people.
  • In Dallas County, 16.6% of the population live below the poverty line.
  • The city is composed of large minority populations including Hispanic (40.2%) and Black (22.3%)

Before You Leave, Check This Out